Sorry if this is repetitive. I have read through many posts here on this topic and most have been quite helpful. But I will still like to address my particular issues:

I am a former Canon AE-1 user and totally loved that camera. I have an affinity towards Canon but can be persuaded to another manuf. I have been reading and researching the EOS Rebel T2i vs. the 60D.

I have been using a (dreaded) point & shoot for the past several years and have been 80% satisfied with it. My big issues are: quality and speed. Clicking the shutter and waiting seconds to miss a shot is too frustrating. I am going on a trip to photograph wildlife and would like to regain the quality and control that I once had with my AE-1.

So, questions I have are:

T2i vs. 60D. Based on what Iíve seen, for what I need the big difference (other than price) is 3.7 fps vs. 5.3 fps. Am I really going to benefit from having 5.3 fps over the 3.7?

They also seem to take the same lenses (EF). I see some are IS and some are IS USM. Whatís the difference?

I am considering an 18-135mm as a general purpose lens.

Lastly, is there a comparable competitor (Pentax, Sony, etc.) that I should consider?

I own a Canon T-1i, but the 18-135mm IMO is not a great lens. The better combination, just as TCav suggested is the Canon 18-55mm IS kit lens and the Canon 55-250mm IS lens.

I did not think that the T-2 was worth the extra money, and the 60D has not yet been announced. If it had I would have passed on the 60D.

However, like me, you wear a new pair of glasses. Therefore, I still see the Sony A-500 as a better solution for you with its much better Live View option. I would go with the Sony 85mm F 2.8 and plan to use flash as required at those basketball games.

I own a Canon T-1i, but the 18-135mm IMO is not a great lens. The better combination, just as TCav suggested is the Canon 18-55mm IS kit lens and the Canon 55-250mm IS lens.

I did not think that the T-2 was worth the extra money, and the 60D has not yet been announced. If it had I would have passed on the 60D.

However, like me, you wear a new pair of glasses. Therefore, I still see the Sony A-500 as a better solution for you with its much better Live View option. I would go with the Sony 85mm F 2.8 and plan to use flash as required at those basketball games.

Sarah Joyce

Actually the 60D has been anounced, but not released yet. Where you would need the extra FPS would be a moving target (Sports, action of some kind). I have the T2i and am pretty happy. I would have passed on the 60D if it had been available, but would, if I could have afforded it gone to the 7D. As far as IS vs ISM USM, both are stabalised lens ( not all Canon mount lens are as the motor is in the lens) the USM is a faster focus motor in the lens. Would I buy the T2i over the T1i again, yes, I like the image quality as well as other things. But it is a personal decision.

For the wildlife, if it is of birds and animals that move fast. The 60d's higher fps would come in handy. But the ef 18-135mm would be to short for wildlife. You will need the ef 55-250 IS for none moving and slow moving wildlife. And at least the ef 70-300 IS USM for birds and faster moving animals. As it focus faster then the 55-250 with the USM motor. The canon does have the best AF in this segment of the dslr market. So it would be the best for shooting wildlife.

Another camera to consider would be the pentax k-x or k-7. It has a ver good AF system. But they do not have as many lens options as the canon. The 55-300mm is a good lens, but not as fast to AF as the canon ef 70-300.

hmmm. interesting points. However tempting, I think the 70-300 IS USM is out of my price range. I will likely start with the two lenses and see how that goes. thanks to all for your valued input.

On a related note (not sure if I should post separately): I just realized that this camera has no onboard storage and all gets written to SD card. A guy at BestBuy was trying to talk me in to an "Extreme" card, saying that it was faster to write to than a standard card. Is this true?

with either camera, you can get a transcend class 10 16gb card for about 50 dollars at newegg.com, It will work just find with either canon. You really do not need to spend top dollars for sandisk extreme class 10 cards. You can also use a class 6 card, and it will work find also. Just a little shorter burst period before buffer lag slows you down.